The Largest Repository Of Ex-Mormon Material In The World
Containing 3,346 Articles Spanning 205 Topics
Online Since January 1, 2005
THE MORMON CURTAIN
|
|
2008 Exmormon Foundation Conference Oct. 17 - 19, 2008
|
The time is flying! And time to remind everyone again about the Exmormon Foundation coming up October
17-19, 2008.
Please join us for our annual weekend of education, enlightenment, personal stories, and mingling with a group of interesting and brave people who are exploring life after Mormonism.
Embassy Suites Hotel, Salt Lake City, UT Click here for details: http://www.exmormonfoundation.org/200....
Amazing line up of activities and speakers for 2008, including Steven Hassan - mental health counselor and expert on cults!
|
|
PLEASE NOTE:
If you have reached this page from an outside source such as an
Internet Search or forum referral, please note that this page
(the one you just landed on)
is an archive containing articles on
"CHURCH PROPAGANDA".
This website,
The Mormon Curtain
- is a website that blogs the Ex-Mormon world. You can
read
The Mormon Curtain FAQ
to understand the purpose of this website.
→
CLICK HERE to visit the main page of The Mormon Curtain.
|
| |
CHURCH PROPAGANDA
Total Articles:
1
This topic covers Church Propaganda. This includes Church teaching manuals and other manuals published by Intellectual Reserve Inc. These manuals generally gloss over Church history in a "Faith Promoting" way, leaving out things such as Polygamy, Polyandry - or anything else that is embarrassing to the Church.
|
|
This morning I noticed a more recent piece of LDS propaganda about Joseph Smith, "Teaching of Presidents of the Church - Joseph Smith", on the kitchen table at my Mormon mother's and stepfather's home. I looked in the Index for "Polygamy"; there were two references listed, as follows:
Introduction (p. xii): "This book deals with the teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith that have application to our day. For example, this book does not discuss such topics as the Prophet's teachings regarding the law of consecration as applied to the stewardship of property. The Lord withdrew this law from the Church because the Saints were not prepared to live it (see D&C 119, section heading). This book also does not discuss plural marriage. The doctrines and principles relating to plural marriage were revealed to Joseph Smith as early as 1831. The Prophet taught the doctrine of plural marriage, and a number of such marriages were performed during his lifetime. Over the next several decades, under the direction of the Church Presidents who succeeded Joseph Smith, a significant number of Church members entered into plural marriages. In 1890, President Wilford Woodruff issued the Manifesto, which discontinued plural marriage in the Church (see Official Declaration 1). The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints no longer practices plural marriages."
The Life and Ministry of Joseph Smith (p. 22): "In 1841 the first sealings of couples were performed, and in 1843 the Prophet dictated the revelation that describes the eternal nature of the marriage covenant (see D&C 132). The doctrines in this revelation had been known by the Prophet since 1831. As commanded by God, he also taught the doctrine of plural marriage."
My comments:
1. I noted that the word "polygamy" was never used in this church manual. In terms of religious developments in North America during the past 165+ years, polygamy and Mormonism have become synonymous.
2. There is no mention that Smith not only participated in the "doctrine of plural marriage", he was the first Mormon to do so, he had at least 33 plural wives, and he polygamously married 11 female church members who were already married and seven teenage girls (ref. http://www.wivesofjosephsmith.org).
3. The summary of D&C 132 states: "Although the revelation was recorded in 1843, it is evident from the historical records that the doctrines and principles involved in this revelation had been known by the Prophet since 1831." (ref. http://scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/132). The Wives of Joseph Smith website, which is based on the info. in Todd Compton's book, "In Sacred Loneliness: The Plural Wives of Joseph Smith", states that Smith married his first plural wife, Fanny Alger, in 1833 (she was 16). The LDS Church's online genealogy records for Smith indicate that he married Alger in 1835.
What historical record(s) does the LDS Church apparently have that Smith was at least thinking about polygamy a minimum of two years before he married Alger? If the info. in the summary of D&C 132 is correct, someone affiliated with the Mormon Church in its infancy (Smith? Cowdery? Harris? Rigdon?) wrote something down about polygamy that resulted in the church reference to 1831 and Smith's plural marriage knowledge. Anybody know what was written, and by whom?
According to the info. in Compton's book/The Wives of Joseph Smith website, "Joseph kept his marriage to Fanny out of the view of the public, and his wife Emma. Chauncey Webb recounts Emmas later discovery of the relationship: Emma was furious, and drove the girl, who was unable to conceal the consequences of her celestial relation with the prophet, out of her house. (ref. http://www.wivesofjosephsmith.org/02-...).
According to the LDS Church, from 1831 on Joseph Smith was aware of the "principles" relative to polygamy, which included the first wife (Emma, in Joseph's case) granting her consent before the Mormon priesthood holder (e.g., Joseph) could polygamously marry a "virgin" that he desired and wanted to "espouse" (ref. http://scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/132/6...). Joseph had violated this "principle". Why did "the Lord' not punish him for doing so?
Another important polygamy "principle", as known to Joseph Smith as early as 1831 according to the LDS Church, was that only an unmarried virgin could become the plural wife of a Mormon priesthood holder. D&C 132:61 states (emphasis in bold is mine): "And again, as pertaining to the law of the priesthoodif any man espouse a virgin, and desire to espouse another, and the first give her consent, and if he espouse the second, and they are virgins, and have vowed to no other man, then is he justified; he cannot commit adultery for they are given unto him; for he cannot commit adultery with that that belongeth unto him and to no one else."
The online genealogy data for Joseph Smith on the LDS Church's FamilySearch.org website shows that Smith married a no. of women who were already married (i.e., "vowed") to another man. Compton's book and The Wives of Joseph Smith website list 11 such women. Married women are not virgins. Joseph violated another "principle" pertaining to the "revelation" of polygamy. Again, why was he not punished by "the Lord" for his disobedience? After all, "obedience is the first law of heaven".
4. On February 9, 1831, Joseph Smith "received" a "revelation", which became D&C 42 (ref. http://scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/42/...). The summary for the Section is: "Revelation given through Joseph Smith the Prophet, at Kirtland, Ohio, February 9, 1831. HC 1: 148154. It was received in the presence of twelve elders, and in fulfillment of the Lords promise previously made that the law would be given in Ohio; see Section 38: 32. The Prophet specifies this revelation as embracing the law of the Church.' D&C 42:22 says "Thou shalt love thy wife with all thy heart, and shalt cleave unto her and none else." Clearly, by pursuing and secretly marrying young Fanny Alger, Joseph Smith violated a direct commandment from "the Lord". Latter-day Saints should be asking themselves, "Why was Joseph Smith not excommunicated for adultery?"
According to The Wives of Joseph Smith website, "To calm rumors regarding Fannys relationship with Joseph, the church quickly adopted a Chapter of Rules for Marriage among the Saints, which declared, Inasmuch as this church of Christ has been reproached with...polygamy; we declare that we believe, that one man should have one wife... This Article on Marriage was canonized and published in the Doctrine & Covenants. In 1852, the doctrine of polygamy was publicly announced, thus ending eighteen years of secret practice. The Article on Marriage became obsolete and was later removed." (ref. http://www.wivesofjosephsmith.org/02-...).
5. The manual mentioned above states: "The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints no longer practices plural marriages." This is true. What the church do not state (in the manual or elsewhere) is that polygamy is still a part of the body of doctrine of the LDS Church. No church president or First Presidency has ever rescinded the doctrine of plural marriage and it remains a part of official church scripture, as per D&C 132. Here's what I wrote the Editor of The New York Times yesterday, "Furthermore, polygamy is an eternal reality for Mormons such as LDS Apostle Russell Nelson and his wives, Dantzel White and Wendy Watson. Nelson was sealed (married) to White for all time and eternity in an LDS temple in 1945, and likewise to Watson in 2006 after White died. If LDS doctrine is true, Nelson is a polygamist."
6. "As commanded by God, he [Joseph Smith] also taught the doctrine of plural marriage." Nowhere in the D&C does "the Lord" command Smith to teach about polygamy. In fact, D&C 42:12 states "And again, the elders, priests and teachers of this church shall teach the principles of my gospel, which are in the Bible and the Book of Mormon, in the which is the fulness of the gospel." (ref. http://scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/42/12...). However, the Book of Mormon condemns having more than one wife, and the "wives and concubines" of David and Solomon were "abominable" to "the Lord", according to Jacob 2:24 (ref. http://scriptures.lds.org/en/jacob/2/...). Very strangely, by July 12, 1843 "the Lord" had changed his mind. D&C 132:1 says (emphasis in bold is mine): "Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you my servant Joseph, that inasmuch as you have inquired of my hand to know and understandwherein I, the Lord, justified my servants Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, as also Moses, David and Solomon, my servants, as touching the principle and doctrine of their having many wives and concubines".
Just more factual arrows to keep in your quiver (so to speak) for the next time you find yourself in a discussion with 'faithful' Latter-day Saints about Joseph Smith, "the Prophet of the Restoration".
| |